Okay, so you’re sold on green; where do you begin? Start with the “Three Rs” - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Just remember, the Three Rs are in order for a reason: businesses should start by Reducing, follow with Reusing, and finish with Recycling. This way, you can ease employees into going green; a lot of companies rush to implement a recycling program, only to watch it backfire.
When you’re ready to start, take a good look around. Sit down with employees and involve them in the process. Behavioral changes are usually the best ones you can make: they don’t cost a penny and don’t produce any waste (an example would be asking employees to turn off lights when they leave a room, rather than installing sensors that shut them off automatically). They do, however, require repetition and reinforcement, so ease into new practices, have patience with slow learners, and don’t ask too much at first. No one likes a Recycling Nazi!
Reducing. The easiest places to reduce are usually energy, water, and waste. Can you use less energy? If not, can you use more efficient light bulbs or Energy Star appliances? These will save money on utility bills. To avoid producing new waste, install new bulbs and appliances only when old ones are used up. Next, take a look at reducing your water consumption. Many County Water Districts offer free audits that will tell you where you’re overusing, and some will even give you free fixtures, ranging from faucet adapters to toilets! Lastly, take a look at your trash. If you use paper cups for coffee breaks, encourage employees to bring a favorite mug from home instead. If you’re not recycling, ask your waste disposal company what your options are - there may be more than one. The City of San Francisco offers free white paper recycling to downtown businesses. For an accounting or law firm, this could amount to a 50% reduction in trash bills, just by separating white paper from trash! Again, save the Third R for last, but feel free to do the research while you’re Reducing.
Reusing. Reusing isn’t just for Paper Bags and office equipment! You can reuse by copying on both sides of the paper, or buying ink cartridges that are refillable. This R focuses on the practice of discouraging a “disposables” mentality, so when you are looking for ways to reuse, ask yourself: what you would do in your business if you couldn’t throw anything away, and couldn’t buy anything new? The best part about reusing is that it has a side benefit of reducing waste in many areas. A Toyota dealership in Dallas, for example, found a way to re-use old motor oil to heat its shop in winter, which not only reduces its disposal fees, but lowers its utility bill.
Recycling. The most well-known R, recycling has become a bit complicated since the days of “It’s Good For the Bottle, It’s Good For the Can.” To recycle something is to return it to the waste stream for the purpose of turning it into a raw material that can be re-manufactured into something else. The best place you can start when you’re ready to implement a recycling program is your waste management company. They will know the most about what’s recyclable in your area. That’s right; not everything is recyclable everywhere! When implementing a program, again, it’s wise to start simple: begin with bottles and cans, which everyone can recognize. Move on to paper, then plastic. Eventually, you might even want to tackle “food recycling,” otherwise known as composting!
Like improving one’s health, going green does require a few lifestyle changes, and in the beginning, the less drastic you are, the easier it will be. Give your company, and your customers, time to warm up to being greener, or you may find yourself throwing in the eco-friendly towel. Most importantly, don’t fall into the trap of trying to be “environmentally perfect.” Even if you can’t do everything you want to at first, set reasonable goals and do your best to meet them. Every little bit counts, and the Earth will benefit from your efforts, no matter how small - you don’t have to be big to make a big difference!